My Kids
by RascalFlattsS
Summary: “How many kids do you have?” One shot.


My Kids

By RascalFlattsS

I should have been in front of the TV, relaxing and enjoying a beer. Instead Kitty had sent me over to our new neighbor's house to drop off some stupid casserole as a "welcome to the neighborhood thing." Pretty dumb if you ask me. I don't know why Eric couldn't do this but somehow, I ended up doing.

I got up to the front door and rang the doorbell. A little boy with sandy blonde hair opened the door.

"Is your mom home?" I said.

The little boy continued to stare at me as if he didn't know what I said.

"Ben! Whose at the door?" asked the woman coming behind him. She smiled when she saw me. "HI. Can I help you?"

"I'm Red Foreman," I said. "My wife Kitty and I live next door." I pointed to our house. "Kitty asked me to bring you this." I practical shoved the casserole in her hands.

"Thank you," said the woman. "I'm Annie. And that little guy is Ben."

"Nice kid," I said sarcastically.

"Do you have any children?" asked Annie.

"I do," I grumbled.

"How many kids do you have?" she asked.

My mind flashed to my kids.

There was Laurie-my first born child. My little girl. The apple of my eye. She was my little princess. There was no wrong she could do in my eyes. She was my little angel. I remember the day she was born; the first moment I held her in my arms. My entire life changed that day. It's amazing how much my life with something so small.

Then there was my son, Eric. The unplanned kid. Most fathers want a son but not me. I would have preferred a daughter. Because daughters are easy. The father's job to spoil his daughter and protect her and then when she's gets into trouble, that's the mother's job. It's the opposite job with a son. And I loved my old man but he was tough on me. I mean really tough. I know Eric says I'm toughed, but compared to my father, I look like a pansy. I didn't want to be my dad. But Eric needed discipline. He needed guidance. The real world isn't a nice happy place where everything is easy as pie. I wanted my son to be prepared for the world, so he could survive. So he could have better than I did. And even though Eric isn't on the football (or any team for that matter) like I wanted nor is he the "A" student that I wanted, he turned out all right. I remember the time when President Carter was here and I had to ask him a question and I was stuck on what to say. And what does my son do? He whips on a Nixon max, takes off his trench coat and goes streaking! He helped me find the right question to ask Carter though. And when he found out the plant was closing, what did he do? He punched my boss' kid! Broke his nose! I got a chewed out from my boss, but the whole time I was listening to that, I was smiling inside. Eric turned out pretty good if you asked me. I'm proud to call him my son.

There was my adopted son, Steven Hyde. His mom left him when he was seventeen and Kitty and I let him come lived with us. He's been living in the basement ever since. Even though he has a little bit of trouble now and then (but then all those dumbasses do), he's a good kid. It's been a really joy watching that boy grow up and become a man. He's grown so much-more than anyone ever thought he could-including himself.

And then there's the neighbor girl, Donna. I knew the moment Bob and Midge moved in and I saw that little red-head, there was going to be trouble. Eric has been in love with her since he was six. She's as smart as a whip; she could be anything. She could have any boy in this town and yet she chooses my idiot son. (I _still_ don't really get that one). She's been good for Eric-teaching him more about love, relationships and the real world than I ever could.

And then there's that annoying girl, Jackie. She can be really annoying, at times, ya know? She's one of those girls that can talk and talk and no one is really listening but she's talking anyway. She can't cook anything to save her life. All she seems to care about is clothes, make-up and money. But I remember this one time, it was career day and I had been put on part-time at the factory. She came over and helped me fix the Vista Cruiser. She's got a lot of talent with cars, that girl does. I had been trying to teach Eric how to fix the car for months but he just didn't seem to get it. I was really proud of her that day.

There's Michael Kelso. What a dumbass. I mean it, this kid is as dumb as dumb can get. And when you think he can't get any dumber or do anything stupider, he does. It's shocking sometimes. That doesn't mean the kid doesn't have his good moments. He helped me create smaller paddles to create a more challenging game. Kid had guts, I have to give him that, messing with _my _game. Stupid. But gusty.

And last, there's that foreign kid. Fez. I have no idea if that's his first name or his last name or if that's even his real name at all. I still don't even know where that kid is from. I can barely understand him. He just started hanging around in the basement with Eric and his friends and before you know it, he was here _all the time. _Just like all those other kids. But somehow that foreign kid wormed his way into the group and into our lives. He sure makes things interesting, I'll give him that.

"How many kids do you have?" said Annie again.

I snapped out of my daydream. I looked at her before I smiled.

"Seven," I said.

"Seven?" repeated Annie.

"Yep," I said proudly, "I have seven kids: three daughters and four sons."

After a few more minutes of conservation, I turned and walked back to my house.

Those kids drive me crazy. They are always at my house-ALL THE TIME! But at some point all those kids wormed their way into my heart. What can I say? They're my kids.

As I walk back to my house, I swear I see Kitty smiling in the window. But maybe it's my imagination.

-Fin-

A/N: What do you think? Please R&R!


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